Hawken vs Seneca T/C Rifles

[Firehole]

I believe that my rifle is a Seneca rifle but wasn't sure. Is there a sure-fire way to know?

 

[cynthialee]

TC Hawken will have a 15/16 barrel, the Seneca has a 13/16 barrel.

 

[CaptainVane]

Arent they stamped on the barrel? Pretty sure TC stamped them.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Arent they stamped on the barrel? Pretty sure TC stamped them.

Early models were not stamped with the model name.

 

[2 shots]

look at pictures.

 

[Firehole]

TC Hawken will have a 15/16 barrel, the Seneca has a 13/16 barrel.

Thanks, it's a Seneca and that is what I thought it would be, but always thought I wanted a Hawken until I started carrying around a Seneca in the woods without a sling. The dang thing is heavy enough. The gun has a lot of history in the state of WV as it was the reason that WV started a BP season back in 78.

 

[2 shots]

just f.y.i. hawken can be 15/16 or 1 inch.

 

[TechMoron]

just f.y.i. hawken can be 15/16 or 1 inch.

Only the 54 & 58 caliber Hawkens were 1 inch.

 

[Headrush]

If you get the chance to handle both types is all you need to do the Hawken is a lot bigger and heavier rifle than a Seneca

 

[Firehole]

Well mine is 13/16 and now I know what I have for certain.

 

[Headrush]

Early models were not stamped with the model name.

Yes sir you are right I just bought a Seneca made in the 70's and it doesn't say Seneca on the barrel it says Thompson Center CAL 45

 

[Mad Professor]

What about the TC Cherokee? 13/16 bbl?

 

[Headrush]

What about the TC Cherokee? 13/16 bbl?

Yes the one's I have saw with factory barrels were 13/16"

 

[Urban Coyote]

Yes sir you are right I just bought a Seneca made in the 70's and it doesn't say Seneca on the barrel it says Thompson Center CAL 45

Yeah, back in my early stages of addiction it created quite a bit of confusion for me. A couple years after I bought my first T/C .50 Hawken, I think that sprouted hair on my chest, the guns that would become known to me as the Renegade and Seneca began showing up on a local dealers shelves. There was no internet back then and I can't remember exactly but I think it was a year or so before they showed up in an edition of Gun Digest. I regarded the Gun Digest as most people did the Sears and Roebuck catalog at Christmas. Eventually I go my hands on Thompson Center catalog, that cleared things up and cost me the price of both a .54 Renegade, .45 Seneca, and associated trappings. Neither with model names on the barrel.

I'm very fond of most T/C muzzleloaders and I've owned a bunch. The Seneca is a nice trim and, to my eye, elegant rifle but it's certainly not as robust as the Hawken model.

 

[TC Tommy]

A Seneca barrel will drop right into a Cherokee stock but there will be a gap between the end of the stock
and the barrel under rib. From the hook breach to the end of the stock, the Seneca is a little longer. All else
will line up just fine.

 

[TechMoron]

A Seneca barrel will drop right into a Cherokee stock but there will be a gap between the end of the stock
and the barrel under rib. From the hook breach to the end of the stock, the Seneca is a little longer. All else
will line up just fine.

And a Cherokee barrel will drop in a Seneca stock if you lop off an inch or so of the underrib.